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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Will I ever not complain!

I hope all you Mothers had a great day last week. By the time we returned from our day in Senchi, Tsito, and Ho it was 8pm and I was much too tired to go to the office. It was a good day and I was happy to serve the missionaries in those areas by bringing them their mail etc. They never complain about being so far from the Mission Home and actually enjoy being out from all the busyness of the city. I had taken pictures that I wanted to add but when we went to the office tonight to write, the internet was off and we decided to come home. Since we only have the one computer at home, my companion said he could wait to write so I could write a little.

It has been great but busy week with missionaries departing and new missionaries coming. It is hard to describe our small office with sooooo many missionaries needing reimbursement, requesting items for their apartments, handing in baptismal records, getting their mail, etc. They are a delight, but by the end of the day; well, you get the idea. We had another missionary that wanted to go home. President Judd spent hours with her, but she had made up her mind. But there was an Elder that was serving in Cape Coast Mission that was going to go home and at the last minute, asked himself "what am I doing? My family has disowned me for joining the church, so why am I going home. I will regret it for the rest of my life if I go home." He was able to contact Elder Dickson of the Area Seventy and change everything and is now serving in our mission and doing well.

I had the wonderful experience of meeting a young mother who came to receive her endowment in the temple. She had her baby of four months with her and he just melted my heart. He smiled and laughed when I talked to him, and now the rest of the story. He was born premature and his mother was by herself and took him with the umbilical cord still attached and got a taxi to go to the hospital. He was so tiny that he fit in the palm of Elder Dalton's hand. He was meant to live, because under those conditions he should not have. I love stories like this as it is a reminder to me He is watching over us all.

Today was a difficult day at the Senchi Branch. Last week, Sister Owusu and Duodu and I had divided up the responsibilities of teaching but they never came to do their part. The children were struggling with reverence today and with new children just about every week, we really need all of us there so when one is teaching, the others sit by the children to help with the problems. I think the language is still part of the problem. Nephi and the Brass Plates was a good story to keep their interest and they love to sing, but I didn't even try the concept of tithing. Sister Owusu was to teach that and I was not prepared with anything visual to help them understand. On the way home, we were stuck in traffic for about an hour and a half. I took pictures of the congestion that we experienced that maybe will give an idea of three lanes of traffic in one single lane. It doesn't have all the horn honking and exhaust fumes that were also experienced. I will add them in a later blog as they are on the computer in the office.

I have to admit that there are times when I say that I would not miss Africa one bit. But I know there is so much more to it than the traffic, noisy children, and teachers that don't show up. I just have such a desire to look at a trying situation and be able to not complain and instead find something good about it. I guess in the desiring, I can have some hope that it will come.

We missed being able to skype with our Shelton family because of internet problems at the office and we can't get skype at our apartment. I want our sweet Cooper and Avery to know how much I missed seeing their sweet faces and that I love them so much. Our dear Oriana, Alexibia, Xander, Nickolas, Isabel, and Naomi emailed us tonight and it was good to hear how they are doing. We sure miss our family and love them all.

1 comment:

I'm so proud of you. Life is hard, and serving as a missionary in Africa at your age is even harder. :-) But you are still doing it, and the way you are blessing those precious people through all of your service is marvelous. I feel the spirit so strongly that you are doing a great work. Oh, how I wish all people, especially members of the church, could catch the vision of what we can do to help others and the Lord in building his kingdom. You are great, and God is greater, and with you working side-by-side there isn't anything that you can't accomplish. I love you guys!